APPENDIX_L.pdf

APPENDIX L

AIR FORCE ENLISTED DORMITORY

DESIGN GUIDE

air force enlisted dormitory design guide pdf

Vandenberg Air Force Base

Air Force Enlisted Dormitory Design Guide 2

Chapter 1 Introduction

A. Purpose B. Measuring Quality C. Design Guide Scope and Use

1. Application

2. Limitations

D. Goals

Chapter 2 Planning and Programming

A. Overall Considerations

1. Project Team

2. Project Definition

3. Codes and Standards

4. Design Process

5. Air Force Dormitory Categories

6. Equity between Construction and Renovation Projects

7. Special Considerations for Renovations

8. Basic Military Training Dormitories

9. Pipeline Student Housing

10. Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories

Chapter 3 Facility Design

A. Site Design

1. Siting Requirements

2. Circulation

3. Parking

4. Site Considerations

5. Site Amenities

6. Landscape Architecture

B. Building Design

1. General Considerations

2. Building Configuration

3. Interior/Exterior Relationships

4. Privacy/Social Interaction

5. Noise Considerations table of contents

Air Force Enlisted Dormitory Design Guide 3

6. Architecture

7. Functional Area Requirements

8. Interior Design

C. Building Systems

1. Structural

2. Acoustics

3. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

4. Plumbing

5. Energy Performance

6. Electrical/Communications

7. Fire Protection/Life Safety

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A. Purpose

This design guide provides the basic criteria to plan, program, design, and construct Air Force Pipeline Student Housing and Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories. It presents guidance for development of Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories taking into account local program operations and requirements.

While this guide focuses on Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitory requirements, it also describes basic requirements for Basic Military Training (BMT) and Pipeline Student Housing.

This design guide provides guidance developed from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) dormitory design standard, called the “1+1” standard issued on 6 November 95, and recently modified by OSD letter dated 25 June 01. The recent OSD changes provide excellent opportunities for the Air Force to improve the quality of life for our airmen living in Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories. Adoption of this guidance will allow the services additional flexibility in designing and constructing unaccompanied housing by making better use of industry standards. More importantly, eliminating the module gross area restriction allows the services to better use limited space to increase the individual room spaces in each module. The previous 11 m2 limitation on room size has been eliminated, allowing greater flexibility and livability, however, the new criteria changes do not permit increased costs over the previous criteria. The gross building area limitation remains unchanged, but flexibility within the building is enhanced.

B. Measuring Quality

Air Force facilities project quality by their appearance, ambiance, and fulfillment of functional requirements and mission objectives. Quality is derived from a professional commitment by users, planners, programmers, and designers to achieve understated excellence through the delivery of complete and usable facilities. To achieve quality results, the enlisted dormitory must satisfy the design intent, be durable, easily maintained, incorporate applicable force protection measures, and present a positive image of the Air Force in its role as caretaker of personnel as well as the environment.

chapter 1 introduction

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C. Design Guide Scope and Use

1. Application This Design Guide is applicable to all projects in the continental United States and overseas.

It applies to new facilities and renovation projects. It provides basic criteria for determining:

• Programming requirements

• Site evaluation and planning

• Facility design

• Landscape design

• Interior design

The design criteria in this guide apply to all dormitory types (Corridor Access, Balcony Access, and Breezeway Access) unless noted otherwise.

2. Limitations This document provides detailed general information needed to produce a programming plan or conceptual design for all projects. Use this guide in conjunction with other Air Force and Department of Defense documents that give related guidance. Unique design requirements of a specific project should be addressed individually at the local level. This design guide is not a substitute for research required by programmers and designers, and it recognizes that the Major Commands may and frequently do have special requirements for their dormitories. Adherence to base, Major Command facility design standards and facility excellence guides is critical. Required spaces and space requirements are mandatory as provided. All other programming, design requirements included in this guide are minimum standards and/or recommendations and are subject to local requirements and interpretation.

D. Goals

This guide sets overall Air Force policy, but includes flexibility to meet local needs to the greatest extent.

This design guide serves to provide a better understanding of the many issues involved in quality housing for our unaccompanied enlisted personnel. It also promotes cradle-to-grave teamwork in the project development and execution process from requirements identification through beneficial occupancy.

Air Force dormitory projects will exhibit leadership in sustainable and environmentally responsible design and construction. These projects will also comply with the latest edition of the DoD and USAF Force Protection Guide.

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A. Overall Considerations

1. Project Team A number of people have an interest in the delivery of quality enlisted dormitory facilities. Each has their own criteria for what is important, and each plays a vital role in establishing design criteria.

The following is a list of these team members:

• Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel

• Command Chiefs

• First Sergeants

• Commanders

• Community Planners, Architects, Landscape Architects, Engineers and Interior Designers

• Operations and Maintenance Personnel

• Dormitory/Housing/Furnishing Management Personnel

• Fire Department, Security Forces and Safety Personnel

• Environmental and Bioenvironmental Engineering Personnel chapter 2 planning and programming

Buckley Air Force Base

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2. Project Definition

Air Force Dormitory Master Plan

The Air Force Dormitory Master Plan (DMP) is conducted under the direction of Headquarters, United States Air Force, Housing Division (HQ USAF/ILEH). The overall objective of the plan is to perform an Air Force-wide analysis of unaccompanied enlisted personnel housing (UEPH) facility requirements, assess existing facility conditions, and provide future-year program renovation and new construction recommendations.

Project Siting

Locate dormitories within a reasonable distance of all community facilities and services, such as dining facilities, postal service centers, base exchanges, commissaries, pedestrian circulation systems, bike paths, and mass transit routes. Programmers must address the capacity of existing community facilities and existing infrastructure, and accommodate any additional requirements incurred by the proposed dormitory increase. The proximity of dormitories to community services must be balanced with the need for quiet and privacy. To achieve the optimum site plan, each design discipline must work in concert with one another. All design disciplines involved in the site planning process must coordinate their design concepts to ensure the dormitory project presents a professional image of the Air Force, and encourages pride of ownership. Site planning is also influenced by base leadership through the Facilities Board.

There are many factors that may influence dormitory siting decisions:

• Compliance with the General Plan

• Development potential

• Force protection considerations

• Environmental considerations

• Proximity to existing recreation facilities

• Relationship to community facilities

• Existing topography

• Existing landscape

• Available base infrastructure

• Adjoining land uses

• Off-base communities and adjoining neighborhoods

• Vehicle circulation system, including public transportation access

• Future expansion

• Existing Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories

• Existing walkways, designated bike and jogging paths

• Facilities requiring demolition

• Other factors as might be determined by the design program, such as density, the development of a campus atmosphere, obtaining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, etc.

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Organization and Circulation

Pay special attention to building orientation, mass and scale in developing the site plan.

Develop a sense of order, arrival, orientation and community in planning the site. Insofar as possible, dormitory structures must not be overwhelming in apparent size. Site dormitories in relationship to one another to create outdoor spaces for use as passive or active recreation areas.

Most Air Force Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories are three stories in height. This configuration, the maximum standard for force protection, ensures an efficient use of available real estate while avoiding the additional fire protection, inconvenience to occupants, and structural and life safety cost associated with buildings over three stories in height.

Site Requirements—Air Force Dormitories

Functional Requirement Minimum/Recommended

Siting

Community Planning Close proximity to dining hall, shopette, cleaners, club, etc.

Circulation

Entrance Roads 7.32m (24'-0") width minimum

Service Roads 2.4m (8'-0") width minimum

Entrance Sidewalks 2.4m (8'-0") width minimum

Sidewalks 1.8m (6'-0") width minimum

Siting Setbacks Per force protection requirements

Parking

Resident Parking 1 per resident/may be reduced based on local requirements

Accessible Parking 2% total parking/minimum 1 space (per UFAS)

Motorcycle Parking 5% residents/varies based on local requirements

Bicycle Parking 20% residents/varies based on local requirements

Visitor Parking Optional based on local requirements

Site Amenities

Pavilions/Outdoor Areas Include as appropriate in dormitory master planning/projects

Site Furniture Per base standards

Site Lighting Per IES recommended lighting levels/base standards

Dumpsters/enclosures Location/design per force protection requirements/base standards

Signage Per AFP 32-1097 Sign Standards/base standards

Landscape Per USAF Landscape Design Guide/local materials

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Achieve spatial balance and scale through thoughtful placement and arrangement of structures, landscaping and landforms. See Figure 1 for an illustration utilizing professional site development concepts for a typical Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitory project.

Expansion potential for dormitories usually involves the addition of more living units.

It is generally impractical to build an addition onto an existing dormitory building. If the potential for adding additional living units to a dormitory project is identified during the initial programming stage, allow space in the site development plan for additional structures and size the site utilities accordingly.

Typical Enlisted Dormitory Site Development Plan Figure 1

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Climatic Considerations

Dormitory design and building orientation must take advantage of local climate conditions.

Balcony Access dormitories with exterior balconies provide solar shading in warm and temperate climates where heat gain through windows is a concern, but tend to suffer from poor natural daylighting. Corridor Access dormitories with central hallways are more energy efficient due to the limited number of openings to the outdoors. Where practical, use passive solar construction techniques to reduce energy consumption. Local climate conditions must be considered as well as other site organization issues such as the creation of outdoor space, building scale or orientation to other facilities, when determining the best project site.

Site dormitories to take advantage of the positive features of the site. Provide protection from undesirable winds and glare, shading from excessive sun in warm climates, and orient operable windows to take advantage of summer breezes. Solar gain and prevailing winds can enhance energy conservation and yield significant cost savings. Building placement and design should also take advantage of views that are scenic, pleasant, or interesting. Designers must be sensitive to the approaches to the facility and strive to create a clear sense of arrival for newcomers.

Design roof overhangs to work with sun angles to provide solar shading. This configuration is a built-in by-product of Balcony Access dormitories. Achieve mutual shading by sensitively arranging adjacent structures. Avoid excessive east or west-facing glass and design for maximum cross-ventilation where feasible.

3. Codes and Standards

Anti-terrorism/Force Protection

Follow the Interim DoD Antiterrorism/Force Protection Minimum Construction Standards for guidance on dormitory construction. Refer also to the Air Force Installation Force Protection Guide for additional information. Coordinate force protection counter-measure standards throughout the design process to ensure aesthetic consideration and compatibility. Landscape and landforms may be used to soften the impact of visual and physical barriers, as well providing buffer and set-backs. Architectural design can integrate required building and site components into the building and campus design as to enhance the success of the overall project.

Sustainability

Sustainability is defined as the responsible stewardship of our natural, human and financial resources through a practical and balanced approach. Sustainability requires changes to the facility delivery process to ensure the “best fit” of the built environment to the natural and cultural environment. Sustainability integrates “green” or environmentally responsible practices into the process from the very beginning. Sustainable practices are an investment in the future.

Through conservation, improved maintainability, recycling, reduction, reuse and other actions and innovations, we can meet today’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own.

Incorporating sustainable design concepts into dormitories requires the following actions:

• Expanding our focus to include life cycle costs along with first costs

• Extending the life of facilities

• Changing the facility delivery process to minimize waste

• Breaking down the traditional individual discipline stovepipes and working as a team from the beginning

This subject is addressed in detail in the USAF Environmentally Responsible Facilities Guide.

Additionally, the Air Force has developed a LEED Application Guide for Lodging which gives specific guidance for lodging facilities, but is directly applicable to dormitories as well. Use of this guide is required on all dormitory projects.

Access for Persons with Disabilities

Design Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories to accommodate the needs of able-bodied military residents. Military dormitories are exempt from accessible requirements per UFAS, thus, provisions for persons with disabilities are not required in any of the living units. As an exception, bases in Japan, Korea, and other OCONUS locations provide quarters for civilians (DoDDS teachers, AAFES, Red Cross, etc.) and may require special provisions for persons with disabilities. Temporarily disabled airmen should be assigned to accessible lodging units.

Provide access by persons with disabilities to all public spaces on the first floor of a dormitory building. Provisions to accommodate such access include:

• Access ramps

• Sufficient door widths, appropriate hardware, and controls for ease of opening

• Proper fixtures and clearances in the public toilets

• Mounting height of drinking fountains and public telephones

• Designated parking spaces with convenient access to the main entry of the building.

The specific requirements for providing access and accommodating the special needs of persons with disabilities are published in the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines. In case of conflicting guidance regarding public areas, the stricter guidance should be followed.

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Air Force Enlisted Dormitory Design Guide 12

4. Design Process Successful dormitories require involvement of the entire facility delivery team early in the process to fully develop facility requirements to identify the appropriate cost, develop programming documents, and deliver the project on-time and within budget. The following project development stages apply to traditional design-bid-build projects as well as to design-build projects.

Project Initiation

The Air Force Dormitory Master Plan is the principle planning document which defines basic Air Force dormitory requirements and must be followed. The Air Force Dormitory Master Plan uses guidelines in this design guide to score the condition of existing dormitories and prioritize dormitory renovation and replacement projects. It is critical that site selection and any base or MAJCOM facility standards be identified prior to project initiation.

Site Selection

Specific guidance for selecting appropriate sites for Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories is given in Section 2 of this chapter.

Program Definition

Requirement documents provide the design agent and the designer with information used in negotiating the design contract and completing the project definition phase of the project.

The information in this design guide provides the basis for developing the requirements. Site selection has enormous affect on project costs, functionality, and customer satisfaction, and is generally part of the comprehensive planning process conducted at base level. Consideration to future demands placed on the capacity of supporting infrastructure and utilities in support of the project is critical and may also impact costs.

Project definition also includes the space planning guidance found in Section 10 of this Chapter plus the site design, building design and building systems concepts in Chapter 3—Facility Design.

Unique local requirements concerning building program, design criteria, and code compliance should also be identified at this stage. Oversea projects must consider requirements of host nations to ensure requirements for certification of compliance are met.

Information required for the preparation of DD Forms 1391 is found in the Air Force Dormitory Master Plan which is based upon this design guide. Such information includes the functions, space allowances, overall building size, site evaluation, and special factors to consider in developing cost estimates. This guide provides data and criteria needed at each stage of the Air Force project development process.

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Design

Designs are developed using the pre-established project requirements and data are normally prepared in the following sequence: project definition (10 – 20% design), preliminary/conceptual (30% design), intermediate (45 – 60% design), pre-final (95% design), and final working drawings (100% design). Designs must conform to the requirements, scope, and costs identified in Air Force Dormitory Master Plan, plus the criteria defined in this guide, and in any supplemental base or MAJCOM standards. Designs may also be accomplished by a variation on this sequence, or through a Design-Build process. Further guidance on the design process may be found in the Air Force Project Manager’s Guide to Design and Construction.

(http://www.afcee.brooks.af.mil/dc/products/pmguide/pmguide.asp)

Design Process Diagram Figure 2

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5. Air Force Dormitory Categories Unaccompanied Air Force Enlisted personnel typically transition through 3 distinctly different types of dormitories during their career, starting with Basic Military Training dormitories, followed by Pipeline Student Housing, and ending with traditional Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories.

6. Equity between Construction and Renovation Projects It is very important to avoid noticeable disparity in Net Living Area and function space requirements between newly constructed dormitories and newly renovated dormitories.

The criteria in this design guide are applicable to both new construction and renovation and are intended to produce similar facilities.

7. Special Considerations for Renovations Renovations of dormitories range from building and system upgrades to complete gutting and reconfiguration. The requirements and recommendations set forth in this design guide apply to new construction and to renovations, and every attempt to meet these standards should be made.

Flexibility in these construction standards such as two/three-bedroom module designs may be considered based on pre-existing conditions such as type of construction, location and character of load bearing walls and columns, and other physical limitations. When possible, renovation projects must meet the same Net Living Area and functional space criteria applicable to new dormitories. In some cases, criteria waivers are necessary due to existing conditions that cannot be altered. Such conditions and waiver requests shall be coordinated and approved by the responsible MAJCOM.

Basic Programming Requirements for Air Force Dormitories

Grade Rank Minimum Net Living Area Maximum Gross Building Area per person per person

Grade E1 Basic Trainee 6.7 m2 (72 SF) 12.3 m2 (132 SF)

Grade E1 – E3 Tech Trainee 9.17 m2 (98 SF) 25.2 m2 (269 SF)

Grade E1 through E6 12 m2 (129 SF) 33 m2 (355 SF)

Grade E7 through E9 24 m2 (258 SF) 66 m2 (710 SF)

Air Force Enlisted Dormitory Design Guide 15

8. Basic Military Training Dormitories Basic Military Trainees are housed in an open-bay configuration with 50 trainees per bay. BMT dormitory furnishings are limited to bunk beds and lockers for personal gear. Net Living Area is shared, but is based on 6.7 m2 (72 SF) per person. The Gross Building Area for BMT dormitories is 12.3 m2 (132 SF) per person.

9. Pipeline Student Housing Pipeline Student Housing are designed and constructed to meet the needs of a specific category of personnel. These dormitories are utilized to house students who are recent graduates of Basic Military Training (BMT). Although they have completed BMT, they are still in a training atmosphere and must adhere to strict discipline and control. The pipeline dormitory design provides this atmosphere.

Although many concepts in Pipeline Student Housing are similar to Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories, there are differences in their physical layout and construction, including construction as individual structures to control entry. The general concepts applicable to Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories will apply to Pipeline Student Housing unless specifically altered by this chapter.

The area and occupancy requirements listed in the following tables are construction standards for Pipeline Student Housing, not assignment standards. There is no direct correlation between assignment standards and construction standards. Normally, Pipeline Student Housing will be constructed in increments of 100 rooms. The optimum size will depend on the squadron size at each installation.

Basic Training Bay Plan figure 3

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Required Spaces—Pipeline Student Housing

Functional Space Minimum Maximum Recommended Net Area Net Area Net Area

Living/Bedroom Area—2 per module 18.2m2 18.2m2 18.2m2 (196 SF)

(196 SF) (196 SF)

Shared Bathroom—1 per room 2.3m2 (25 SF) Based on 2.3m2 (25 SF) (1 toilet,1 shower) available area

Private lavatory vanity—2 per room, 900mm (3 LF) Based on Approximately 900mm integral top, separate from shared per lavatory/ available area (3 LF) per lavatory/ bath, immediately adjacent to the bathroom vanity vanity

Closets—2 per room 1.86m2 (20 SF) 1.86m2 (20 SF) 1.86m2 (20 SF)

Laundry Facilities (a minimum of 1 washer/ Based on Based on 1.95m2 (21 SF) 12 persons and one dryer/8 persons)—may number of number of per appliance— consist of small laundries per floor or resident resident circulation and single laundry serving entire building access inclusive

Bulk Storage Not required Not required Not required

Utility As required As required Requirement dependent on local conditions

Mail Service—1 box per student As required As required Requirements dependent (inside building) on local conditions/force protection requirements

Circulation space Dependent Dependent 7.4m2 (80 SF) per room, on layout on layout varies with layout

Optional Spaces—Pipeline Student Housing

Functional Space Minimum Net Area Recommended Net Area

Multi-Purpose Area (May be 13.9 m2 (150 SF) for each 0.19 m2 (2 SF) for each room programmed as meeting/study multi-purpose area for each multi-purpose area room,television rooms, exercise rooms, etc.)

Game Room 28 m2 (300 SF) 0.19 m2 (2 SF) per room

Vending 18.6 m2 (200 SF) per floor 18.6 m2 (200 SF) per floor

Accessible Public Toilets 46.5 m2 (200 SF) per dormitory 46.5 m2 (200 SF) per dormitory (ground floor location)

Supply Storage Area 18.6 m2 (200 SF) per dormitory 26.4 m2 (500 SF) per dormitory

Administration Area 1.4 m2 (15 SF) per room 1.4 m2 (15 SF) per room

Public Telephone Area 18.6 m2 (200 SF) per floor 18.6 m2 (200 SF) per floor

Construction Standards—Pipeline Student Housing

Net Living Area per Person 9.1 m2 (98 SF)

Maximum Number of Person per Room 2

Bathroom Configuration 1 per room shared by 2 students

Corridor Central

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Recommended Spaces and Sizes

Access to Pipeline Student Housing rooms will be from interior double-loaded corridors.

Modules are based on a standard of 18.2 m2 (196 NSF) living space. Net living area is generally defined as the floor area of the living/bedroom space, measured to the inside face of the room walls. The net living space is neither a minimum nor maximum but must be met exactly.

The following items are included when determining Net Living Area calculations:

• All door swings that encroach upon the living/bedroom area

• Mechanical equipment such as heat/air-conditioning units, radiators and baseboard heaters.

The following items are excluded from Net Living Area calculations:

• Items extending from floor to ceiling, which have been boxed-in and extend into the room from the wall plane (such as columns, pilasters, vertical pipes and air ducts).

• Closets are not included as Net Living Area.

All Pipeline Student Housing will be of a standard design.

Typical Pipeline Student Housing Floor Plan figure 4

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10. Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories The area and occupancy requirements listed in the following table are construction standards for Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories, and not assignment standards. Programmers must use the anticipated number of occupants established by the current approved Dorm Master Plan process as the first step in developing a dormitory design.

New Construction

Background

Considerable detailed analyses have been conducted in the preparation of this design guide to determine the optimal configuration and basic requirements for Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories. Various analyses focused on space requirements, programming limitations, comparative construction costs, building proportions, and many other factors. Enlisted dormitories have traditionally been based on a “2-room” concept. For many years, the Air Force built what were known as “2+2” dormitories, which featured two-room modules with two airmen assigned to each room, and a shared bath within the module serving the four residents. Each shared room provided approximately 8.4 m2 (90 SF) per person. This standard was changed to the “1+1” concept in 1996 which provided two small private rooms in each module with two persons sharing a bath and a small kitchen. OSD established a rigid Net Living Area requirement of 11m2 (118.4 SF) for each of the two rooms, and placed a 47 m2 (506 SF) limit on the gross area of the module. Additionally, a limit of 66 m2 (710.4 SF) per module (33 m2 per person) was placed on the gross building area of the dormitory. The new OSD guidance under which this guide was developed allows a range of 11 to 17 m2 (118.4 to 183 SF) for Net Living Area, eliminates the gross module area limit, but retains the 33 m2 per person gross building area limit.

New Criteria and Constraints

The Air Force has conducted several dormitory workshops to develop specific guidance toward the development of this design guide. Dormitory Management, Major Command, Air Staff, and Command Chief representatives provided excellent input, but it quickly became evident that it would be very difficult to include all the desired space and amenities and still remain within the gross building area limit. Under the previous 1+1 criteria, designers were particularly challenged in accommodating all the functions of a dormitory within the maximum gross building area. Modules could be no larger than 47 m2 with the gross building area limited to 66 m2 per module, leaving only 19 m2 per module for circulation space, common areas, wall thickness, exterior covered areas, utility chases, etc. While modules can now be larger, dormitory buildings are still constrained in their maximum gross area. This creates even greater difficulty in accommodating required spaces outside of the modules.

Prototype Development

Goals established at the workshops included the need for larger bedrooms, private baths, shared social spaces, and laundry areas within each module. Numerous prototypes were developed to explore the ramifications of meeting these goals within the modules while

Air Force Enlisted Dormitory Design Guide 19 staying within the maximum gross building area. Two-bedroom, three-bedroom, and four-bedroom modules were developed for Corridor Access, Balcony Access, and Breezeway Access dormitories, respectively. These modules were then used to create conceptual 96-person dormitory building prototypes. A 96-person dormitory was purposely chosen acknowledging that smaller dormitories have a tighter ratio between the area taken up by the modules and the maximum gross building area. Also, this is the smallest dormitory the Air Force typically builds. The assumption was made that the successful application of the programming criteria for a smaller dormitory could certainly be repeated for larger dormitories as the building’s efficiency increases. Additionally, three other two-bedroom Corridor Access prototype modules and their resulting dormitory buildings were developed exploring the impact of retaining shared baths, providing laundry facilities on each floor, or providing a single consolidated laundry room within the building core. Comparative parametric cost estimates were prepared for all the prototype buildings.

Analysis

Initial efforts to include all the functional goals within each of the prototype building configurations resulted in most prototypes exceeding the maximum gross building area limit. A second revision reduced all but one of the prototypes down to 33 m2 per person, but only by eliminating functional shared social spaces in the two-bedroom and three-bedroom modules.

These modules still included a nominal sized shared kitchen/entrance foyer area, but offered no space for shared dining or seating areas. Additionally, the net living area/bedroom size of these two-bedroom and three-bedroom modules were minimum due to linear two-bedroom building configurations and inefficiencies within the three-bedroom module designs. Thus these units did not benefit from either larger bedroom sizes or the addition of a shared common area within the individual module as referenced in the table below.

4 Bedroom Modules

Only the four-bedroom modules successfully incorporated all of the Air Force goals while meeting the gross building area requirement. Further consideration justified the four-bedroom concept from an operational viewpoint. Airmen of mixed grades can be assigned to a module to encourage mentoring of the junior airmen by the more senior residents. Due to the provision of private baths, genders may be mixed within a four-bedroom module much more easily than could be done in a two-bedroom or three-bedroom module.

The table above confirmed that while it is slightly more expensive to provide private baths than shared baths, this cost is offset by only providing half as many shared kitchen spaces in a four-bedroom module than are required for two-bedroom modules. The cost of constructing new dormitories to meet this new standard is comparable to the cost of 1+1 dormitories, since the overall building size has remained constant. Additionally, the goals of the Air Force to provide larger private rooms with private baths, shared common areas including a kitchen, shared social space and laundry within each module, are emphasized with the introduction of the four-bedroom module as the new standard for Air Force Dormitory construction.

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Renovation

Prototype Development

The four-bedroom module design, developed for new construction and based upon the improved and increased Air Force criteria, has also proven valid for renovation, based upon additional analysis and prototype development. Numerous module plans were developed based on two existing building configurations to explore the possibility of incorporating the same standards and benefits of the four-bedroom module design into renovation standards.

Using a typical Balcony Access dormitory and a typical Corridor Access dormitory for background building plans, combinations of Corridor Access, Balcony Access, and Breezeway Access dormitories were studied. Based on the configuration of a four-bedroom module within an existing building footprint, new Balcony Access plans and Corridor Access plans were developed, with an option for the Corridor Access plan to incorporate interior or exterior Breezeway Access concepts dependent upon the installation’s location and climate.

Analysis

The existing Balcony Access plan adapted well to a new Balcony Access configuration, allowing the exterior shell and stairwells to remain intact. A Corridor Access configuration was also developed, but requires the addition of interior stairwells to access module entrances. The existing Corridor Access plan, while also keeping the exterior shell in place, required a new balcony system to be introduced within the building configuration for a Balcony Access plan.

This plan adapted best to a Corridor Access configuration, although requiring the existing interior stairwells to be relocated within the footprint, which will impact overall project costs.

This plan does allow the most efficiency, though, and greatly increases the number of modules per floor. In most configurations, the original occupancy of the building will be decreased with the new four-bedroom module design. These numbers will vary, though, based on building systems requirements and other local considerations.

USAF Dormitory Prototype Analysis 2, 3, and 4 Bedroom—Balcony Access

Description 1+1 Dorm 2bdrm/ 3bdrm/ 4brdm/ Balcony Balcony Balcony Balcony

Gross Building Area 33m2 (34,088 SF) 33m2 (34,088 SF) 33m2( 34,088 SF) 33m2 (34,088 SF)

Number of Baths 48 96 96 96

Number of Kitchens 48 48 32 24

Net Living Area per Person 11m2 (118 SF) 12m2 (129 SF) 13m2 (139 SF) 12.4m2 (132 SF)

Gross Module Area per Person 24 m2 (253 SF) 26.5 m2 (284 SF) 26 m2 (280 SF) 28.5 m2 (305 SF)

Building Plan Efficiency 71% 80% 80% 86%

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4 Bedroom Modules

Although it is slightly more expensive to provide private baths than shared baths, this cost is offset by only providing half as many shared kitchen spaces in a four-bedroom module than are required for two-bedroom modules. The cost of renovating existing dormitories to meet this new standard is comparable to renovations cost using the 1+1 standards, since in both configurations, the building would be significantly gutted, retaining only building shell and/or existing stairwells, and replacing all building systems regardless. Additionally, the goals of the Air Force to provide larger private rooms with private baths, shared common areas including a kitchen, shared social space and laundry within each module, are emphasized with the introduction of the four-bedroom module as the new standard for new and renovated Air Force Dormitory construction.

Renovation balcony Access Floor Plan Figure 5bExisting Corridor Access Dormitory Plan figure 5a

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Renovation Balcony Access Building Plan figure 5c

Renovation Corridor Access floor Plan figure 5dExisting Corridor Access Dormitory Plan figure 5a

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Renovation Corridor Access Building Plan figure 5e

Existing Balcony Access Dormitory Plan figure 5f

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Renovation Balcony Access Floor Plan figure 5g

Renovation Balcony Access Building Plan figure 5h

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Renovation Corridor Access Floor Plan figure 5i

Renovation Corridor Access Building Plan figure 5j

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New Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories and major dormitory renovation projects must meet the construction standards cited in the table above. Additionally, newly constructed Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories must include the required spaces with their associated prescribed sizes as listed in the table below. Some flexibility is allowed for renovated Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories, but they must include the required spaces to the greatest practical degree.

Construction Standards—New Construction and Renovated Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories

Grade E1 – E4

Minimum Net Living Area per Person 12 m2 (129 SF)

Recommended Net Living Area per Person 12 – 14 m2 (129 – 150 SF)

Maximum Net Living Area per Person 17 m2 (183 SF)

Number of persons per module 4

Kitchen configuration Semi-private (shared by 4)

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Required Spaces and Sizes—New Construction and Renovation Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitory

Required Functional Space Minimum Maximum Recommended Net Area Net Area Net Area

Private Living/Bedroom Area, 1 per person 12 m2 17 m2 12 – 14 m2

(129 SF) (183 SF) (129 – 150 SF)

Private Bathrooms—1 per person 3.25 m2 (35 SF) Based on 3.25 m2 (35 SF) (1 toilet, 1 combination tub/shower available or 1 separate shower, and 1 lavatory area vanity—min 762 mm (30 inches) wide)

Private Walk-in Closet—1 per 1.86 m2 Based on 1.86 m2 (20 SF) living/bedroom area (20 SF) available area

Shared Common Area (1 kitchen per Minimum Based on 11.5 m2 – 28m2 module, 1 shared social space per module, 11.5m2 available (123 – 300 SF) including 1 laundry area per module, and utility (123 SF) area shared kitchen, shared space as required, shared 4 persons) social space and/or seating/dining area, laundry and utility

• Kitchen—1 per module, shared by Included Included in At a minimum includes:

4 persons in Shared Shared double-bowl sink; 2-burner

Common Area Common cook top combination Area microwave/convection oven, range hood with exhaust fan, storage cabinets, and disposal where permitted

• Laundry Area—1 washer/1 dryer Included Included in 0.93 m2 (10 SF) per per module—shared by persons in Shared Shared appliance actual footprint/ (may be stacked) Common Area Common 1.95 m2 (21 SF) per

Area appliance—circulation and access inclusive. Laundry per module recommended— centralized laundry as option with allowed ratio 1 washer/8 persons and 1 dryer/6 persons

Multi-Purpose Area—at least one such 25 m2 Based on 0.19 m2 (2 SF) per person space per dormitory (includes game (270 SF)total available for each multi-person area room, television room, exercise room, area plus 7.4m2 (78 SF) administration area, etc. administration area—total area to be used based on local requirements

Vending Area—one area per 2.32 m2 Based on 7.43 m2 (80 SF) per dormitory recommended (25 SF) each available vending area based on vending area area local requirements

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Required Spaces and Sizes—New Construction and Renovation Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitory continued

Required Functional Space Minimum Maximum Recommended Net Area Net Area Net Area

Mail Service—1 box per person, As required As required Requirements dependent centrally located within the on local conditions— dormitory campus—location per not applicable at force protection requirements OCONUS locations

Accessible Public Toilets 9.3 m2 Based on 9.3 m2 (100 SF) per (100 SF) per available dormitory dormitory area

Supply Storage Room 9.3 m2 Based on 9.3 m2 (100 SF) per (100 SF) per available dormitory dormitory area

Bulk Storage 2m3 (70.6 CF) Based on 2 m3 (70.6 CF) per (may be in-room, in-module or per storage Available storage cubicle.

centralized area) cubicle Area Recommended 1 cubic/area per 4 person to vary based on local requirements

Utility As required As required 8% of Gross Building Area dependent on building system requirements

Circulation Dependent on Dependent Dependent on layout layout on layout

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Net Living Area

Net Living Area is generally defined as the floor area of the living/bedroom space, measured to the inside face of the room walls as indicated by the shaded areas on the following module plans. Provide a total of between 12 and 14 m2 (129 – 150 SF) Net Living Area in each room.

In no case should the Net Living Area per person be less than 12 m2 (129 SF).

Typical Balcony/Breezeway Access Floor Plan figure 6a

Typical Corridor Access Floor Plan figure 6b

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The width of a living/bedroom area should not be less than 3048 mm (10'-0"). The recommended minimum width is 3353 mm (11'-0").

Items included in Net Living Area calculations are:

• All door swings that encroach upon the living/bedroom area (typical in Balcony Access dormitories).

• Mechanical equipment that occurs within the living/bedroom area, such as heat/air-conditioning units, radiators, and baseboard heaters.

Items excluded from Net Living Area calculations are:

• Items extending from floor to ceiling, which have been boxed-in and extend into the room from the wall plane (such as columns, pilasters, vertical pipes and air ducts)

• The area occupied by the vanity, when the vanity is within the living/bedroom area

• Closets and wardrobes

The range of 12 – 14 m2 (129 – 150 SF) should allow sufficient flexibility for the Net Living Area requirement to be met for renovation projects as well as for newly constructed dormitories.

There may be physical limitations present in existing dormitories, such as load-bearing walls, that affect the flexibility of the module layouts, but most existing dorm configurations will permit meeting the minimum Net Living Area requirements.

Measuring Net Living Area Figure 7

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Gross Module Area

Gross Module Area is not restrained to a specific area measurement for newly constructed or renovated enlisted dormitories, but is still limited due to the requirement to stay within the Gross Building Area limitation while satisfying all functional and minimum area requirements required for the spaces within the facility. A recommended range is 26.5 – 28.5m2 (129 – 150 SF) per person. Designers must remember that the difference between the Gross Module Area and the Gross Building Area must accommodate all of the dormitory functions that occur outside of the module, such as circulation, utility spaces, and exterior wall thickness.

Gross Building Area

Gross building area is measured to the outside face of the exterior enclosure walls. Do not include normal roof overhangs in gross building area. Normal roof overhangs are generally less than three feet wide and are unsupported by columns. Exterior covered areas such as balconies count as half scope and are measured from the face of the enclosure wall to the edge of the covered area. Exterior unenclosed stairs count as half scope per floor that they serve, but interior stairs and elevator shafts count as full scope per floor that they serve.

Refer to AFH 32-1084, Facility Requirements for more information on scope calculation.

Example of Gross Module Area figure 8

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The gross building area for Permanent Party Enlisted Dormitories must not exceed 33 m2 (355 SF) per person. This limitation may be increased by 2 m2 (21.5 SF) per person for high-rise dormitories (4 stories or more) or for dormitories with site-specific programming requirements.

Newly constructed projects must comply with the design and construction guidance establishing the minimum and maximum size for the Net Living Area and the maximum size of the Gross Building Area. Cost-effective dormitory renovation projects must also comply with the minimum and maximum Net Living Area, but may exceed the maximum Gross Building Area due to pre-existing conditions. Installations desiring a waiver from these planning factors must submit a fully justified request to their MAJCOM/CE, who has final waiver authority.

Special Project Considerations

The following special factors should be considered when establishing initial estimates of project costs in the Air Force Dormitory Master Plan:

Special Design Features. Expenses associated with special design features in a dormitory room can account for a large portion of the total project cost because the features are repeated in every module. Programmers and designers must be aware of current unit cost factors. Programmers will only use unit costs; therefore, designers must be concerned about the cost impact of special design features. A good example is kitchen equipment, where the cost can vary greatly, depending upon the quality of each item.

Utility Systems. Utility requirements for dormitories often exceed those of other facilities of similar size because of the higher energy demands and occupancy densities.

Programmers must determine these requirements and include them in the construction budget if they are associated with the cost of supporting facilities. Otherwise, accomplish the program requirements within the unit cost. The cost of pipe tunnels and trench systems associated with dormitories can have a significant impact on construction costs.

Mechanical Systems. The type of mechanical system selected for a dormitory has a major impact on the cost of the project. An existing steam and chilled water distribution system from a central energy plant may have the capacity to supply the new dormitory. In other cases, the new dormitory complex may justify its own central energy plant, or it may be more cost effective to provide each dormitory with a separate mechanical system, or to provide individual systems for each module. Make these decisions as early in the programming or design process as possible. Life cycle cost analysis is especially important for mechanical systems in dormitories due to unique user requirements.

Fire Protection Systems. Fire protection systems for dormitories should receive special attention regarding their impact on construction costs. These systems may incur additional costs due to the repetitive nature of dormitory designs, their occupancy classification, and dependent on selection of system, may increase the water demand for the project.

Sustainability. Incorporating sustainable design features into dormitories may result in higher initial costs, but should always be justified by a thorough life-cycle cost analysis.

Force Protection. Follow the Interim DOD Antiterrorism/Force Protection Minimum Construction Standards for dormitories, and consider the impact these standards have on the overall construction cost of the project. Coordinate with the base security forces personnel for additional local guidance or requirements.

Other Factors. Preliminary soils analysis is essential to determine whether extensive site work and foundation costs are required. Local environmental and climatic conditions can also impact costs. Dormitories located in areas prone to seismic activity generally cost more. Climatic influences such as heavy snow loads, wind loads, high humidity, and extreme temperatures result in additional costs due to structural and insulation requirements. Dormitories that occur in designated historic districts may incur additional cost in order to ensure compatibility with historic structures.

Module Proportions. The dimensional proportions of modules are critical to the overall construction cost of a dormitory. Designers must consider not only efficiency in design of the individual modules, they must also focus on how the modules string together to create a building. While module proportions, interior wall quantity, and the number of doors can be optimized to produce the lowest cost, designers must also consider the impact these factors may have on privacy, functionality, and aesthetics.

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A. Site Design

1. Siting Requirements Site planning is one of the more important elements of any project design and can make or break the overall success of the enlisted dormitory project. The art of site planning requires the interdisciplinary involvement of the community planner, architect or landscape architect, interior designer, and civil, mechanical, electrical, and communication engineers, as well as the Housing and Dormitory Managers. The quality of the design will suffer if one of these design disciplines is left out of the site planning process. The landscape architect should lead and be responsible for the development of the site plan, coordinating with the other disciplines.